Five shorts from our 10,000 Fresh Voices series, made possible by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund:

1. National anthem singer Michelle Delgado
Produced by Robert W. Morgan
You’ve probably heard her voice at college and professional sporting events, but who, exactly, is the diva behind the National Anthem? KFAI producer Robert W. Morgan introduces us to Twin Cities singer and actress, Michelle Delgado.

2. Twin Cities Hmong hip-hop on the rise
Produced by Dan Zamzow
Hip hop in the Hmong community is alive and on the rise in the Twin Cities. KFAI producer Daniel Zamzow talked to artists and emcees Ge, YungFate, Fres Thao and Brad Matala about how hip hop is having a positive role in Hmong culture.

3. Ice-climbing at Lilydale Regional Park
Produced by Maria Almli
Despite this winter’s lack of snow, resourceful Minnesotans find a way to enjoy cold weather activities. At Lilydale Regional Park in St Paul, ice falls form every winter, regardless of snowfall, making it an excellent spot for ice climbing. Lilydale attracts local climbers, as well as enthusiasts from out of state. KFAI producer Maria Almli met St Paul Forestry Supervisor, Scott Kruse for a climb.

4. Twin Cities art collectives
Produced by Flor Trevino
“Come Together” is not only the name of a Beatle’s song, it’s a trend the Twin Cities is leading through the formation of art collectives. Art collectives vary in size, structure, and mediums, but they have one thing in common: collaboration. KFAI’s Flor Trevino talked to members of the Northside Arts Collective, Yes!Let’s Collective, and Rage to Order Collaboration. For more information on the Northside Arts Collective, visit nacarts.org. For the Yes!Let’s Collective, go to yesletscollective.com. Look for the Rage to Order Collaborative on facebook.

5. Poet and musician Brian Laidlaw
Produced by Flor Trevino
California native Brian Laidlaw considers himself a poet first and musician second. After several years of touring, Laidlaw settled in Minneapolis to earn his Masters of Fine Art in poetry at the University of Minnesota. He wrote the album “wolf wolf wolf” as the audio counterpart to his masters’ thesis and released it in the fall of 2011. In this edition of Live from Minnesota, Laidlaw shares his poetry, music and insight on blending of these art forms. For more information, go to brianlaidlaw.com.

Five shorts from our 10,000 Fresh Voices series, made possible by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund:

1. National anthem singer Michelle Delgado
Produced by Robert W. Morgan
You’ve probably heard her voice at college and professional sporting events, but who, exactly, is the diva behind the National Anthem? KFAI producer Robert W. Morgan introduces us to Twin Cities singer and actress, Michelle Delgado.

2. Twin Cities Hmong hip-hop on the rise
Produced by Dan Zamzow
Hip hop in the Hmong community is alive and on the rise in the Twin Cities. KFAI producer Daniel Zamzow talked to artists and emcees Ge, YungFate, Fres Thao and Brad Matala about how hip hop is having a positive role in Hmong culture.

3. Ice-climbing at Lilydale Regional Park
Produced by Maria Almli
Despite this winter’s lack of snow, resourceful Minnesotans find a way to enjoy cold weather activities. At Lilydale Regional Park in St Paul, ice falls form every winter, regardless of snowfall, making it an excellent spot for ice climbing. Lilydale attracts local climbers, as well as enthusiasts from out of state. KFAI producer Maria Almli met St Paul Forestry Supervisor, Scott Kruse for a climb.

4. Twin Cities art collectives
Produced by Flor Trevino
“Come Together” is not only the name of a Beatle’s song, it’s a trend the Twin Cities is leading through the formation of art collectives. Art collectives vary in size, structure, and mediums, but they have one thing in common: collaboration. KFAI’s Flor Trevino talked to members of the Northside Arts Collective, Yes!Let’s Collective, and Rage to Order Collaboration. For more information on the Northside Arts Collective, visit nacarts.org. For the Yes!Let’s Collective, go to yesletscollective.com. Look for the Rage to Order Collaborative on facebook.

5. Poet and musician Brian Laidlaw
Produced by Flor Trevino
California native Brian Laidlaw considers himself a poet first and musician second. After several years of touring, Laidlaw settled in Minneapolis to earn his Masters of Fine Art in poetry at the University of Minnesota. He wrote the album “wolf wolf wolf” as the audio counterpart to his masters’ thesis and released it in the fall of 2011. In this edition of Live from Minnesota, Laidlaw shares his poetry, music and insight on blending of these art forms. For more information, go to brianlaidlaw.com.
Produced by Flor Trevino

California native Brian Laidlaw considers himself a poet first and musician second. After several years of touring, Laidlaw settled in Minneapolis to earn his Masters of Fine Art in poetry at the University of Minnesota. He wrote the album “wolf wolf wolf” as the audio counterpart to his masters’ thesis and released it in the fall of 2011. In this edition of Live from Minnesota, Laidlaw shares his poetry, music and insight on blending of these art forms. For more information, go to brianlaidlaw.com. Produced for KFAI by Flor Trevino.

Malamanya is a Minneapolis-based band that blends orginal songwriting with traditional rhythms and melodies of Cuba, Central and South America. Acoustic-driven dance rhythms celebrate salsa and samba, and draw on organic forms of the past. Band members include: Adriana Rimpel (lead vocals), Jason Marks (trumpet), Jesse Marks (percussion/bell), Luis Ortega (percussion/congas), Tony Schriner (ppright bass/guitar) and Trevor May (tres/guitar). For more information on the band, go to malamanya.com. Produced for KFAI by Daniel Zamzow.

1. Black Storytellers Alliance
Produced by Katey DeCelle
Minneapolis’ Black Storytellers Alliance is a nonprofit organization made up of master storytellers, educators and community supporters who use African-based storytelling methods to reach their audience. They perform for all ages—pre-schoolers to seniors—and emphasize values such as honesty, friendship, love, integrity, manners and self-determination.

2. Obsidian Arts
Produced by Michelle Alimoradi
Obsidian Arts is a collective located in the Pillsbury House in South Minneapolis. For more than eight years, Obsidian has supporting and promoting artists of color, challenging them to push creative boundaries. KFAI producer Michelle Alimoradi spoke to the Obsidian’s director, Roderick Southall.

3. Louis Alemayehu: Poet, musician and elder
Produced by Dixie Treichel
Louis Alemayehu is a poet, musician, educator and community elder. Born in Chicago of African and Native heritage, he developed artistically during the Black Arts Movement of the 1970s. Now a Minnesota resident, Louis is a founding member of Twin Cities music group Ancestor Energy—a group he’s performed with for more than 25 years.

4. Chemist Jeannette Brown
Produced by Will WrightJeannette Brown was the first African-American woman to earn a degree in chemistry from the University of Minnesota. She spoke to KFAI producer Will Wright about her experience at the U of M in the 1950s, and her book, “African American Women Chemists.”

5. Toki Wright
Produced by Cristeta Boarini
Twin Cities hip-hop artist Toki Wright is a dynamic force on stage and in the recording studio. He’s also an instructor at McNally Smith College of Music in St. Paul. KFAI producer Cristeta Boarini caught up with Toki to talk about his latest projects.

1. The Givens Foundation
Produced by Will Wright
The Givens Foundation was established in 1972 to provide academic scholarships for black youth. In 1985, the Foundation collaborated with the University of Minnesota and philanthropic families to expand its mission, and shifted its focus to African American literature and culture.

2. Accessible Theater in the Twin Cities
Produced by Maria Almli
The Twin Cities is known for its vibrant theater scene, but did you know that Minnesota leads the nation in accessible theater? In 2010, more than 300 shows were staged that addressed accessibility issues—using actors, themes and adaptations, such as sign language, open captioning and sensory tours.

3. Outdoor Ice Skating in Minneapolis
Produced by Allison Herrera
The Minneapolis Park Board preps and maintains more outdoor urban ice-skating rinks per capita than other communities. KFAI’s Allison Herrera laced up her skates and hit the ice to file this story.

4. Filmmaker Mara Pelecis
Produced by MJ Gilmore
In 2011, Minnesota filmmaker Mara Pelecis produced a documentary entitled, “Souvenirs—Healing After War.” The film focuses on challenges faced by post-war veterans acclimating back into society, but for Mara, the project became deeply personal. KFAI producer MJ Gilmore spoke to Pelecis about how her journey into filmmaking became an opportunity to document family history and pay homage to her late father, Ivars Andrew Pelecis.

5. St. Paul’s Urban Mennonite Community
Produced by Dan Greenwood
Mennonites, also called Anabaptists, are a pacifist religious sect that formed during the 16th century. To escape persecution, Mennonites fled Europe and formed colonies all over the world. Here in the United States and elsewhere, followers lived a largely rural life based on agriculture, simplicity and community. Today, more and more urban integration is taking place. KFAI producer Dan Greenwood visited a St. Paul-based Mennonite church and coffee shop, and discovered that the movement is changing rapidly with the times.

1. Artist Jim Denomie
Produced by Allison Herrera
Artist Jim Denomie depicts politics, history and contemporary Native American issues using bold colors, big brush strokes and a heavy dose of satire. He earned a degree in studio arts and Native American studies from the University of Minnesota, and began painting the world around him. A visual storyteller, his work enlightens and educates people, and is in collections all over the world. KFAI producer Allison Herrera met the artist at his studio in Shafer, Minnesota.

2. Lunalux: Something Heavy that Leaves a Trace
Produced by Todd Melby
The U.S. Postal Service reports that people are writing fewer and fewer letters. Americans are, of course, increasingly turning to e-mail, texting, Facebook and other forms of digital communication. But there’s at least one place in Minneapolis that still values the handwritten, personal note. Todd Melby visits Lunalux, a printer that embraces 15th century technology.

3. Jazz Dance Company, Rhythmically Speaking
Produced by Michelle Alimoradi
Jazz dance developed as a working-class art form in the early 20th century and represented longing, struggle and perseverance. Choreographers Erin Liebhard and Heather Westerlund are keeping jazz dance alive as co-directors of the Twin Cities’ company, Rhythmically Speaking. By pushing the envelop with their productions, they hope to inspire new conversations about jazz.

4. Northwest Airlines History Centre
Produced by Susan Gray
Three years after being sold, Northwest Airlines has been completely erased from the Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport. For years the 1928 Waco plane—part of Northwest’s original fleet—hung in Concourse G, but recently the Waco was sent to the Delta Air Transport Heritage Museum in Atlanta. Former employees of Northwest Airlines are determined to keep the history of the company in Minnesota. KFAI producer Susan Gray spoke with Bruce Kitt and Wayne Synder at The Northwest Airlines History Center, located at Wings Financial Credit Union.

5. Black Men Reading
Produced by Will Wright
Black Men Reading is a North Minneapolis book club and study group modeled after groups that formed in Harlem during the 1920s and 1930s. For more than 10 years, Black Men Reading (which also includes women) has been meeting regularly to read and discuss literature, building role models in the Black community. KFAI producer Will Wright attended a session, and met Ezra Hyland, the group’s facilitator.

The Lowertown Reading Jam in St. Paul is a monthly literary series at Black Dog Cafe, sponsored by the Saint Paul Almanac. Each session features a different theme and curator. In this segment of “Live from Minnesota,” poet, philosopher and educator, J. Otis Powell, presents the theme “Duende and the Sound of Soul.” The show features excerpts from J. Otis, e.g. bailey, Leah Nelson, Andrea Jenkins and Louis Alemayehu.